FANGOPHILIA: SILVER ACCESSORIES HAND-MOULDED TO YOUR FACE AND BODY. EVERYONE IN TOKYO’S DOING IT…WON’T YOU?

知る人ぞ知っている：「ボディパーツのクチュール屋」”ファンゴフィリア”。こんな不思議なシルバーアクセサリーでもファンがあつい。私が形取りを初体験！

You know about the infamous O-parts, those odd ancient pieces that seem way too ahead of their time to be primitive, so therefore they might actually be from an alien civilization? Yeah, THOSE parts. I can’t help but think of mysterious objects and being “ahead of the times” when I see the works of Fangophilia (have I mentioned I love stories of alternative history and fringe theories? Those excite me just as much as rare brand collabs and fashion gossip). Taro Hanabusa doesn’t just create body parts from mannequins en masse, he uses molds to take an exact replica of YOU before fashioning the accessories out of silver in his Shinjuku atelier.

I went to see his exhibit going on now at the entrance to Kitakore in Koenji, and see if perhaps I could get a piece of my face plaster-molded for my own wearable O-part. 

彼が今回、高円寺はキタコレで作品展を行っていると聞きつけ、早速拝見がてら私だけのシルバーピースを作ってもらうため型を取りに行ってきました

For the installation, Taro created his own display pieces of hands, faces, jaws and arms that were then decorated with the silver accessories. You’ll notice there are a lot of teeth here… actually, Taro himself is a practicing dentist (!!) who has his own clinic. “I go there two days a week, and then work on my brand the other days. If I was a dentist any more days of the week I`d never be able to finish orders.” It’s then that he takes his Frankenstein test-subjects…er….customers’ molds with the pink gummy “plaster” that dentists use. I remember getting my retainer made from this after my braces were taken off (they push it down your throat, so not a pleasant experience!).

I really wanted to get an ear made, so I took the opportunity to get it done while I was there. Hopefully it would be a better experience than the Orthodontic retainer!

First, we cleared off a display case at Garter, and Taro mixed the solution, taking less than 5 minutes. And it smelled like spearmint! With my head on that block, waiting for the goo to dry, I felt like it was a sacrificial ceremony…(insert joke about sacrificing all for fashion). 

そして私が特に作ってほしかったのが耳のピース。耳にも同じく先のピンクの物体で型をとる。 

I actually had a special request, for Taro to make the ear but to add a bit…something he hasn’t done before. I will reveal it when it’s done after two weeks. 

そして耳の型をとってもらう間、デザインについてちょっとイレギュラーなオーダーを。どんなオーダーかは、２週間後の完成をお楽しみに！ 

I was concerned about the nose parts and teeth..after all, won’t it fall off? But Taro said that since it is molded to the shape of your face, it doesn’t fall off easily at all. 

鼻や歯のパーツに関しては、すぐ落ちてきそうとの心配があったが、ピタっとはまる鋳型で作られているためそう簡単に落ちたりはしないそう。 

If you’re interested in getting fingers, teeth or another part done, Taro will be able to take your mold on Sat and Sun until the end of March at Kitakore. After that, he said he would even meet you anywhere to take your mold (it literally took less than 15 minutes). Check out the website for more.

これを見て、自分のパーツもシルバーで作ってほしい！と思ったあなたは、今月いっぱいはこの展示を行っており、土日はTaro氏も立ち会ってもらえるそうなので気軽に型取りをお願いしてみてはいかがでしょう？ 

http://fangophilia.com

Also, he’s gonna be here too:

こちらでも今月展示しているそう！（だれでも参加可)

Bizarre Bazaar